If you've gone to art school, had a company meeting at an overpopulated startup, or worked a job that required you to work and take breaks outside, you've had to sit on the ground. It's uncomfortable, it's dirty, and there are no alternatives. CritBuns solves that problem.

I discovered CritBuns way back when I was in undergrad and living in Boston. I can't remember how I came across the product, but having spent a semester at an art school I knew how uncomfortable and dirty the floor can be. While I didn't necessarily need CritBuns at the time, I thought it was such a great idea that I bought one. It came in handy for meetings when I got a job at a tech startup.

So what are CritBuns, exactly?

It's a portable pad formed to fit your butt so you can comfortable sit on the ground without getting dirty when you don't have a chair. This isn't something that's useful for everyone, and might seem stupid to people who don't need it, but if you find yourself sitting on the ground with any regularity you can probably imagine how useful it is. It made meetings more bearable and kept my pants clean while breaking for lunch on outdoor film sets. I've been in so many situations where sitting down would've been an unpleasant experience if not for my CritBuns, so I keep them in my car just in case I'll need them.

You can get your own CritBuns for $20. They come with a handle so you can easily port them around. They're easy to clean and can fit comfortably in a regular-size backpack. It's an inexpensive item I've found very useful for the many years I've owned it, so if you think you'd find it useful as well you should definitely go check out their website.